It's Ottomatic!
by pwincesst
Summary: The prequel to my fic Romeo and Rocket. Reggie and Sam have just started senior year, and Otto wants to ask Trish to OSH's Halloween Hop. This is before Twister's cousin, Cleo moves to Ocean Shores, though.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Like I mentioned, I had this idea for a prequel to Romeo and Rocket… to all those who wanted a sequel, I'll try to come up with one, but no good plot ideas are coming to me right now… anyway, enjoy! PS reviews inspire me ;)

At Ocean Shores High School cafeteria, Otto Rocket, his best "bro" Maurice 'Twister' Rodriguez, and their friend Sam 'Squid' Dullard are sitting at their customary table, waiting for Otto's sister, Reggie to arrive from her last period journalism class. They are discussing the upcoming Halloween hop, one of their last chances to attend a dance as a group before Sam and Reg graduate at the end of the school year. They usually attend school dances together, but this time, Otto has a spanner to throw in the works.

"Dude, I'm telling you, she TOTALLY digs me.. and she IS fine… why CAN'T I go with her?"

'Otto… the last time you asked out one of Reg's friends, you stood her up, and wound up at Madtown with my visiting cousin.'

"Your point, Maurice?"

'His point is that she'll kill you.'

"But this is DIFFERENT, Squid… I LIKE Trish…"

'Sure… like you liked Britney, Charlene, Miranda… Reggie didn't talk to you for a week after the incident with Ginger..'

"What was her beef, anyway? I'm her brother… she should be on my side!"

'Bro… it's kind of hard for her when her friends get mad at her for what you do…'

"Since when are YOU her spokesperson, Maurice?"

At this, Twister blushes, earning a sharp look from Sam. Otto, thankfully, doesn't notice his friend's obvious discomfort, as he sees his sister approaching the table, accompanied by a tall, short haired blonde and the (current) object of Otto's affections.

'Hey, guys… what's up?'

"How're YOU doing?" Otto completely ignores his sister's greeting, and turns to her friend with his trademark grin. The petite brunette giggles, and twirls a strand of her long, black hair shyly.

'Knock it off, Otto… guys what's our deal with the Halloween hop? Are you coming over to get ready, or will we all meet there?'

"Actually, Rocket girl, I was thinking we could go with dates this year.." Otto punctuates his remark with another grin aimed at her friend, who is starting to blush slightly.

'You're kidding, Otto… you guys DO realize Sammy and I graduate this year, right?'

"Yeah…"

'And you DO realize both of us applied to mainly East Coast schools, so we won't be back that often, right?'

'Yeah…' this response was muttered by Twister, who has suddenly become sullen. Otto, on the other hand, is only half paying attention as he winks his sister's friend.

'So… it's settled, we're all going together!'

"Yeah, yeah, sure Rocket girl… but I'm sure your two best friends would like to join us… Let's all go!"

At Otto's invitation, Twister and Sam's heads snap up, each for different reasons. Sam eyes the blonde in front of him, and smiles slowly, while Twister, realizing that this arrangement would make him Reggie's unofficial "date" is unsure whether to grin ecstatically or pummel his best friend. The look of anger in Reggie's eyes, however, decides the matter for him…

'Bro… maybe they don't want to come…'

"Like… no way! We don't have dates, and it's always fun to hang out with team Rocket" Sherry, who had been uncharacteristically silent throughout the conversation, now breaks in with a beam.

'Rocket boy… outside… NOW..' Reggie manages to utter through clenched teeth. Sam and Twister exchange worried glances. Although Sam is secretly pleased that Otto has invited Reggie's friends, one of them in particular, he knows Reggie's "you're dead" tone too well. Twister too is fully aware that his friend was in for a world of hurt. However, the glint in Reggie's large brown eyes is also sending an involuntary shiver down his spine. Otto, on the other hand, is unconcerned, and with a final wink at Trish, slopes off after his sister.

"ROCKET BOY… HOW COULD YOU?!" Reggie thunders as soon as they are alone and safely out of earshot.

'What… We're all still going together, aren't we?' Otto tries to pull his "I'm innocent" grin, which, unfortunately, has never worked on his sister…

"You promised never to hit on ANY of my friends after you stood up Ginger to take Cleo out skating…"

'What…I said I was sorry! In my defence, I didn't know Cleo was going to be in town when I asked her out!'

"So you choose to stand up someone who USED to be a good friend of mine, who won't even talk to me now?"

'Cleo was upset about her parents fighting…' Otto says quietly.

Reggie rolls her eyes and sighs. She knows that her best friend had been truly sad that day, and her brother's uncharacteristic kindness had infinitely cheered her up. This doesn't however, excuse the fact that Otto had called up her friend pretending to be sick, and cited a "miracle" when he was caught.

"Rocket boy… please… just don't make me lose another friend in your quest to become Ocean Shore's Don Juan?"

'I do like Trish… she's hot, smart and athletic. I think we might actually be good together… besides, this isn't entirely for me, you know?'

"Oh, really?" Reggie quirks an eyebrow; her brother is NOT known for his selflessness.

'Yeah… this is probably Sam's last chance to ask Sherry out… you know he'll never get up the nerve to do it without some help… in a group, at the dance, he might even ask her to dance…don't you want to help the Squid?' Otto, once again, flashes his charming grin at his sister. He knows that this time, she'll have to give in. She had a weakness for helping people, that Otto wasn't afraid to exploit, especially if it gave him the opportunity to legitimately spend time with a hot girl.

Reggie groans, knowing full well that Otto actually has a point, for once. "One wrong move, and you're dead, Rocket boy," she growls as she walks away. Otto heads back to the cafeteria, a smile of victory on his face.

"Everything, OK, O-man?"

'Yeah… escaped without a scratch' Otto gives his best friend a cocky smile.

"No… I meant, is Reg OK?"

'She's cool…although not as cool as her friend here…' Otto turns towards the blushing brunette with a cheeky grin. Sam, noticing Twister's question, turns towards the younger boy with a knowing look, while Sherry just appears curious. The bell rings, and the group splits up to head towards their various classes. Otto and Twister head off to study hall, while Sam, Sherry and Trish walk in the direction of the chemistry lab.

'So, Thomas just transferred to Ocean Shores community college…'

"Thomas… as in Cleo's brother? Why? Is Cleo moving out here, too?" Otto tries not to appear interested in his friend's piece of news.

'Dunno… wasn't really paying attention when mom told me… something about their parents…'

"Yeah, Cleo mentioned that they've been fighting a lot lately…"

'Dude… you talk to Cleo?'

"Yeah… sometimes… we email from time to time… IM… and call each other…what's wrong with that?" Otto's tone suddenly turns defensive.

'Bro… is there something you want to tell me?'

"Come on, bro… you call Reggie all the time and you don't like her as more than a friend… it's like that!"

'You talking to Cleo is like me talking to Reggie?' Twister's voice suddenly sounds high and thin.

"Exactly, bro! She's a good friend, and she's going through a real tough time right now, that's all…"

'Mmmm… whatever bro…' Twister is now distracted, as he thinks of his long phone calls chatting with his best friend's sister. Their conversations always seem platonic, yet Twister knows that his day doesn't really feel complete without hearing her voice. Twister knows that if Otto feels the same way about his cousin, AND plans to ask Trish out, things are probably going to get complicated in a hurry.


	2. Chapter 2

After school, team Rocket is heading in separate directions, for once. Reggie is staying after school for a journalism club meeting. Sam, too, is staying after. He says he needs to get some work done for his advanced placement computer class, but he's lounging by the field, where the cheerleaders practice, his eye on one particular perky blonde. Twister has, for once, rushed home after school. He'd bumped into his best friend's sister in the hall after the final bell, and, with his face as red as his hair, had streaked out of the school, mumbling something about having to "clear his head". Oblivious Otto, on the other hand, is taking the opportunity afforded by his sisters absence to ask a certain brunette out.

"Now, what's a girl like you doing walking all alone…?"

'I'm just walking to my car, Otto…' giggled Trish. With her two best friends staying after school, she too was alone.

"What you need is a handsome escort"

'The parking lot's not too far, Otto'

"I wasn't talking about the parking lot… I was talking about to dinner and a movie tonight." Like everything else about him, Otto's flirting skills were legendary. Trish had looked on him with interest since puberty set in a few years ago. The short, cocky, dreadlocked little boy had grown up into a tall, tan athlete, with some smooth moves up his nonexistent sleeve.

'What… what about Reg?' Trish was reluctant to say no, just in case he took her seriously.

"She can come if she wants…"

'H-huh? She…. Can?'

"That is… unless you don't want her to… I'll leave it to you… meanwhile… I'll pick you up at eight… with or without my sister for a chaperon" With a wink and a half smile, Otto turned and sloped off… leaving a very flustered Trish in the hallway.

"3….2….1…"

'WAIT!'

"Yeah?" Otto turns with an expectant grin.

'R-reg is taking your car home… I was thinking… do you need a lift?'

" That IS a generous offer… that I can only accept if you let me buy you a shake at the shack on the way back…"

'W-well… if you insist…'

With his arm around her shoulder, Otto leads her towards her car. Meanwhile, his best friend is having a pseudo crisis… which involves an extensive talk with himself.

'Dude, you are NOT interested in Reggie.'

'Who are you kidding… you KNOW you are…'

'But… you guys grew up together! It's wrong!'

'She knows you inside out… she's ALWAYS been there for you'

'She's just a friend'

'A beautiful, smart, sweet, tough, cool, talented friend'

'Otto will kill you'

'No, he won't… she's just a friend…'

Calming himself down somewhat, he walks into his house, surprised to see his brother and his two cousins sitting on the couch with his parents, somber faced.

"Maurice… Cleo and Thomas are going to be moving in with us for awhile…"

At this statement, Twister just looks at his mother, puzzled.

"Their parents are getting a divorce, dork. That's why Thomas transferred to my college… didn't you pay attention when Mom told you?"

Truthfully, Twister hadn't been paying attention. At the time, he'd been about ready to take up his usual position by the half pipe outside the Rocket house, looking up into a particular window until the light went out. He'd been doing that every night since he was fourteen. He didn't know WHY he did it, nor did he know what he would do if anyone ever found out about his night watches. So, he just giggled nervously (and girlishly) at Lars' comment.

'I hope you don't mind, Maurice… it's only until the end of the school year…' Cleo chimes in awkwardly.

"Are you kidding… of course not…I only wish there was some way I could make you feel better about the whole thing…"

'Yeah… that's usually Reggie's job… or Otto's,' she replies quietly. Both her brother and Twister's turn their heads sharply at the mention of Otto's name.

"Cuz, I don't want you getting involved with that dork,"

'Yeah… he's got a reputation as the town flirt…'

"Why? Because girls actually LIKE him?" For an inexplicable reason, Cleo is highly offended by her cousin and her brother's protectiveness.

Remembering his earlier conversation with Otto, Twister is confused. On one hand, he knows his friend really does have deep feelings for his cousin (although he would probably die before admitting it), and that his cousin does reciprocate. However, he also knows that Reggie would be devastated if Trish were to stop talking to her because of a break up with Otto. Trish and Sherry had been Reggie's oldest friends, with the exception of himself.

"Maybe… you should listen to them, cuz"

"You TOO, Maurice?"

"You've… got a lot on your plate right now… it's probably not the best idea to rush into things…" For once, Twister knows exactly what to say. He resolves to say the same to Otto BEFORE he actually has a chance to ask Trish out…

What Maurice Rodriguez doesn't know, of course, is that his best friend epitomizes the phrase "rushing into things." At that moment, he's walking hand in hand with his sister's friend along the beach, after a shared strawberry shake at the Shore Shack. His father and Tito, seeing the new 'couple' just shake their heads.

"I'll bet you twenty dollars, brudda, that they don't last more than a week."

'I'll take that bet. I say it'll last at least a month.'

"Brudda… you don't know your own son…"

'Maybe I don't, Tito… maybe I don't.'


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Otto is late for school, as usual. Reggie doesn't bother waiting for him; she has to meet Twister to discuss the filming of the weekly school news broadcast. As the school's top student journalist and filmmaker, they had been spending quite a bit of time together that year. Somehow, Reggie enjoys the time she spends with Twister away from the group; he makes her laugh, and she doesn't constantly have to be responsible for Otto or helping an injured Sam. With Twister, she can actually relax. Lately, she'd been starting to look forward more and more to their meetings, although she didn't quite know why. She was a little surprised when she saw him accompanied by a tall, slender girl at the front steps, but broke into a squeal of delight when she recognized her.

"CLEO!!!!"

'That's my name, don't wear it out…' Cleo managed a wry smile. She was happy to see her best friend, but less happy that her best friend wasn't accompanied by her brother.

"WHAT are you doing here?" Reggie threw her arms around her friend, not noticing the slight disappointment on her face. As Cleo explains her situation, her face softens into a look of genuine sympathy, and she puts her arm around her friend.

"Listen, Cleo… if you ever need anything… just know that I'm here for you, OK?"

Cleo smiles gratefully at her best friend, as they head towards homeroom, as they leave, Reggie flashes an apologetic grin at Twister. Twister responds with a nod and a smile, and turns to walk towards his own class, when he is accosted by a short haired blonde with glasses.

"What was THAT all about…" Sam Dullard is curious.

'Reg has to hang out with Cleo for a bit, and she'll call me tonight to talk about the filming, I was just telling her it was OK with me…' Inexplicably, Twister is starting to blush.

"You didn't SAY anything…"

'We've sort of been able to do that for awhile… Guess we know each other pretty well…'

"A real… connection… huh?' Sam is enjoying this. It isn't often that he is actually able to tease either Twister or Otto.

'Shut up, squid…' Twister's cheeks are now starting to match his hair. Internally, he is thanking every God he knows for the fact that Reggie isn't around to see this… and Otto…

"Otto isn't going to be happy, Twist…'Sam grins.

'Look… Sherry in her cheerleading outfit!'

"WHERE?" Sam turns, and curses as he sees his friend disappear down a corridor. Sighing, he shuffles in the direction of class, when he sees his best friend's brother… holding hands with a long haired brunette.

"Otto…?"

'Beat it, squid… I'm busy…'

"You seen Reggie… or Twist, yet?"

'No…' Otto is getting impatient. When is this squid going to get the hind that three is a CROWD?

"I suggest you go look for them…" With a doubtful look at the new couple, Sam retreats down the corridor. He knows that his friend has strong feelings for Cleo, who has just moved into town. He also knows that Reggie will be absolutely furious if her brother breaks the heart of another of her friends. And he also knows that Twister, who has never taken sides with anyone over his "best bro" had clearly fallen for Reggie.

"Only in Ocean Shores" he muttered to himself as he made his way down the hall. As he walked, he was lost in thought, not noticing his surroundings until…

BANG!

'Like… watch where you're going… Oh… Sammy…' a familiar voice rang out as Sam looked up from where he lay sprawled on the ground. In front of him was another short haired blonde, although much prettier, in his opinion, dressed in a cheerleader's sweater, with books on the ground.

"S-S-Sherry…" Sam wanted to crawl into the ground and die. Of all the people to crash into…Mumbling an apology, the blushing blonde adjusted his glasses and proceeded to gather her books. She didn't seem to mind, though, and as she took the books handed out to her, she decided to speak.

'You heading to the computer lab before homeroom?'

"Yeah.. I'm usually there every morning… like to get a little work done… cause work's important…"

'I know.. I mean… I'm having a little trouble with a new program I'm supposed to learn to use for IT class… maybe you could help me out?' For some reason, Sherry seems a little shy. Sam has never seen any hesitation in the girl before, and chalks it up to her being uncomfortable with the idea of having to ask for help from the school geek.

"Sure…"With a smile, she takes his arm. Trying to appear nonchalant, Sam leads the way to the lab, hoping against hope not to betray the tingles shooting up his arm.

Meanwhile, Otto has reluctantly left Trish to go to his own homeroom, where his best friend has been waiting for him.

'Dude… you know how you were going to ask Trish out?'

"What do you mean WERE, dude?' Otto responds with a smirk.

'Bro… you didn't…'

"Chillax, bro… like I said… I actually like her… there's only one girl I've liked more… and that's never going to happen… so yeah… I won't dump this one, and Reg won't get mad…"

'That one girl you've liked more…'

"She doesn't live here…"

'Dude… you talking about Cleo?'

"Er… hey look, Mr. Allen's here…"

Twister turns to his book with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. If Otto has already asked Trish out (which he admits he has), and if Otto really does have strong feelings for his cousin (which he knows he has, even though he won't admit it), Twister can only see one possible outcome from this situation: a heartbroken Trish, a hurt Cleo, a hurt Otto, and a very upset Reggie. For some reason, the thought of Reggie being upset seems to upset Twister more than the others. He doesn't know why, but he does know this: things are already starting to get complicated.


	4. Chapter 4

Reggie is looking for her brother. The scene that had transpired in her first period homeroom had NOT been pretty, and she was going to grab him by his dreadlocks until he gave her a FULL explanation for his lunacy. A giddy Trish had skipped into class, informing all and sundry that she and Otto Rocket were "officially a couple". Cleo's pale face at the news had shocked her, and she had been in the uncomfortable position of having to cheer up Cleo while expressing support for Trish. Sam had been no help; he'd been chattering away to Sherry about gigabytes and RAM speed… As soon as the lunch bell rang, Cleo had mumbled an excuse about having to see her guidance counselor… leaving Reggie free to chew Otto's ear out without worrying about her friends feelings. She stomps over to their usual lunch table, only to find… Twister? Alone?

"H-hi, Reg…" Maurice Rodriguez was usually nervous around Reggie… lately more so… but her scary butt kicking mode was downright terrifying… and also kind of sexy… although he probably would be killed if he ever admitted that out loud.

'Where's your dorky best friend…'

"I take it you've heard about him and Trish…"

'How COULD he, Twist… he KNOWS what happened the last time… doesn't he CARE that he's making things difficult for me?'

"I don't think he really thinks he's doing anything wrong, Reg… he does like her…"

'But he loves Cleo…'

"H-how do you know that?"

'Duh… he talks about her all the time, every time he gets off the phone with her, he's got this dippy smile on his face… and whenever he hears about her dating anyone else he's in a foul mood all week…'

"Er… right…" Twister is getting uncomfortable. Reggie has just described his own behavior around her.

'What're we going to do, Twist?'

"Buy some popcorn and watch the show?"

She can't help but laugh as she looks at her earnest friend. Somehow he always knows just what to say.

'Be serious, Twist…'

"Well… he doesn't really know Cleo's back yet…"

'Where is he anyway?'

"Had to go to the guidance counselor's office… something about not choosing a major for college…"

'He's at the guidance counselor's office?'

"Yeah…"

'Right now…'

"Yeah…"

'Let's just say he'll know Cleo's back in town by the end of the period..' Not sure whether to laugh or to scream in frustration at the irony, Reggie buries her head in her hands. Without thinking, Twister puts his arm around her shoulder and pulls her close to him in a comforting embrace, trying not to think about how good she feels in his arms. He's starting to stroke her hair, when a loud cough startles both of them.

'Tr-trent?' Reggie is surprised to see the handsome New Zealander looking disapprovingly at them.

"Am I interrupting, Rodriguez?" Trent is eyeing the redhead with hostility.

"Was there something you wanted?" Twister is defiant. He knows Trent has no right over Reggie… and if Twister has any say in the matter, he never would… Not Twister wanted her for himself… he was just… saving her… from a pompous pretty boy!

"Actually, I wanted to speak to Regina about our English assignment… I could use a little help…" Trent was turning towards Reggie with his Colgate smile. Was it Twister's imagination, or was that smile a little too sinister for his liking? He reminded Twister of the Joker, from Batman.

'I thought you were doing pretty well in class…'

"Yes, but this journalistic writing thing has me stumped… I thought you could give me some pointers… right now, if it's convenient…"

'Well… sure… let's go over to the library… I bet we could work in one of the study/discussion rooms…' Reggie gets up to leave. As they walk off, both turn to look at Twister; Trent with a triumphant grin, and Reggie with an apologetic smile. Muttering, Twister turns back to his meal, although his appetite is gone at this stage. He keeps imagining Reggie and Trent, in the "study rooms", notorious make out corners of the library… and suddenly feels physically ill. He attributes it to the stress he's been experiencing lately over Otto, Cleo and Trish… and his worry about it's impact on Reggie.

Meanwhile, Otto has made his way to the guidance counselors office, grumbling more than a little under his breath. He COULD be "studying" with his new girlfriend in one of the study rooms in the library… he could probably use a few pointers in biology… Smirking to himself, he doesn't notice the door of the guidance counselor's office opening, and crashes into someone.

'Watch where you're… Otto?'

"Cleo?" Otto's eyes grow wide, as he feels his head for any bumps. He MUST be having one of his dreams. He pinches himself hard on the arm, and winces, as he looks up at a hand being extended towards him.

"What're you DOING here, babe…"

'I'm finishing out high school here… moving in with Aunt Sandy and Uncle Raoul…' Cleo looks at her feet. She isn't sure if she should be discussing her parents divorce with Otto now that he's 'taken'… even though she knows he's probably the only one who could actually make her feel better about it.

"Your parents?" Otto catches a familiar expression of pain on her face, which immediately changes to shock. How DOES Otto read her mind like that?

'Yeah… guess they finally decided to make it official…'

"Aw, man… come here…" He pulls her into a hug, which both of them seem to enjoy a little too much.

"Listen… I have to go in now… but… perhaps we could meet up later… go skating… like old times?" Otto is actually nervous, for once. The fact that Cleo finds his nervousness cute is, of course, not helping their situation.

'W-what… about Trish?' Despite her own feelings, Cleo knows that she should respect the fact that Otto was dating someone else now… especially since that someone else was a friend.

"I'll explain it to her… she'll understand… there's nothing wrong with cheering up.. a good friend, right?" Otto flashes one of his trademark grins, as he opens the door again to enter the room.

'Yeah… a good friend…' Cleo is oddly disappointed.

"So… it's a date?"

'A FRIENDLY date…'

With uncertain smiles, they part ways. Both are pleased to be spending some time together, but are disappointed… with the use of the word FRIENDS.


	5. Chapter 5

"You're meeting her after school?"

'Yeah…'

"And you didn't think of asking me first if I'd be OK with it?"

'Of course not, babe, I KNOW you're cool…'

"Cool with you breaking our date to hang out with another girl…"

'It's not like that babe… she's a good friend, and she kind of needs someone there for her right now… and you know if I wanted to cheat, I wouldn't even tell you where I'm going…'

Trish is NOT happy about the situation, but her boyfriend's persuasive smile and charming grin seems to put her at ease. He's not standing her up, he didn't dump her the minute he found out Cleo was in town… which was what she'd secretly been fearing when she'd seen Cleo seated in class that morning. She had taken great pains to emphasize the fact that Otto was HERS now, even though she knew he probably wanted to break things to Reggie slowly. She rests her head on his shoulder, relaxing against his chest, blatantly defying the school's PDA rules. Otto Rocket WAS all hers, and she intended for it to stay that way.

Meanwhile, Cleo Roodriguez is having a conversation with her best friend, who seems unnecessarily suspicious of their plans.

'We're just going skating, Reg…just as friends'

"You"

'Yeah…'

"And Otto"

'Yeah…' Cleo is getting defensive. For some reason, the mention of her name and Otto's together seems to make her heart thump.

"Just friends?"

'Reg, you're SUPPOSED to be the English wiz, here…you think you could manage more than two words per sentence?'

Reggie only responds with a snort.

'Seriously… it's like you and Maurice…'

Reggie chokes at that last comment.

"You two are not and will never BE just friends." With a toss of her head, she gets up and heads towards the exit, only to crash into a tall redhead.

"TWIST"

'Er… hi?'

They lie awkwardly on the floor for some time, until they are roused by the sound of raucous laughter from the rest of the cafeteria. With dignity, Reggie gets up and leaves, while a red faced Twister proceeds to join his cousin.

'What got HER so tweaked?'

"I'm meeting Otto to skate later… she thinks it's a bad idea and that he and I can't be friends…" Cleo shifts uncomfortably in her seat. Somehow, she doesn't think her friend's theory is too far off the mark.

'Er… Cleo… she's not really wrong, you know. Some girls and guys just can't be friends…' He seems to be looking dreamily at the door as he contemplates this. Her eyes narrowing in suspicion, Cleo follows his gaze.

"Maybe you're right… maybe some girls and guys really CAN'T be friends…"

Meanwhile, Sam and Sherry are huddled together over a computer in the computer lab, when a slamming door causes them to jump apart.

'Reg?'

"Hey guys…"

'W-what's wrong….' Sam is slightly flushed, but concerned for his friend. And whoever appears to be the object of her wrath. Reggie Rocket may not be as temperamental as her brother, but when not even Otto liked getting on her wrong side.

"Otto… Cleo… Trish…" Reggie seems only capable of grunting as she types furiously on a computer. Sam looks at the machine in alarm. The force of his friends' fingers was quite likely to damage the keyboard. With a nod from Sherry, he hastily beats a retreat out the door, leaving the girls to their 'girl time.'

"Otto… Trish AND Cleo?" Now Sherry is getting annoyed, too. Trish, Reggie and herself had been best friends since childhood, and whenever Cleo was in town she was a de facto fourth member of their little group. Otto's antics would undoubtedly split them up. Plus, there was the little matter of Sam Dullard. It had taken almost four years of high school for Sam to have a proper conversation with her. She was NOT going to lose her chance with Sam just because Otto Rocket was a stubborn flirt

AN: Sorry for the short chap... thought it was a good place to break… plus inspirations a little low :P r/r!


	6. Chapter 6

"Rocket… a word…"

In the cafeteria after school, Otto finds himself face to face with a pissed off Sherry.

'To little too late, Sher.. I prefer brunettes anyway…' Otto responds with his trademark cocky smile. When in doubt, turn on the charm.

"Cute, Rocket… let's get one thing straight… you are NOT going to cause ANY problems before the Halloween hop. If you do ANYTHING that prevents us all from enjoying the dance, the entire cheerleading squad is going to think you have herpes."

'You really should see someone about that temper Sherry… very unattractive' Otto yawns, 'besides, you worry needlessly. Have I ever, and I mean EVER had any intention of causing ANY tension between good friends…'

"Why don't we ask Ginger…"

'Man, does everyone have to keep bringing that up? Seriously, Sher… I'm trying to do the right thing here… I even told Trish I'd be hanging out with Cleo tonight. You're looking at a changed man…'

"You TOLD her… and she was cool with it?"

'Cool as a cucumber…'

"And… like… you won't try anything with Cleo…"

'Scouts honor' Otto raises his right hand and meets her eyes with a lopsided grin.

"Well… OK then…" Sherry finds herself relenting. Despite the fact that she was clearly not interested, she had to hand it to Otto Rocket… the boy could charm his way out of anything.

'By the way… you might want to be a little pro-active with the squid… he's never going to make a move without a couple of good, hard pushes…' Otto winks at the blushing blonde as he turns and heads towards the school field to meet his favorite brunette.

"How're you holding up, babe…"

'I've been better…' Cleo looks up into a pair of dark eyes with a watery smile.

"Well… I know I'm not the world's best listener, but… I've been told I've got a nice, strong, shoulder…" Otto puts his arm around his _friend_ (he hated that word) and smiles down at her. They sit in silence for awhile, until she starts to speak softly.

'I just… somehow feel like it's my fault… half their fights were about me, anyway…'

At her words, Otto shifts slightly, leans forward and lifts her chin, looking her straight in the eye.

"Listen to me, Cleo… it isn't your fault. They haven't agreed about anything for years, and you're probably one of the only good things that came out of that marriage…"

'What about Thomas?'

"Well… he's ok… but they had to create the rough draft before making their masterpiece…' Otto winks at her, his legendary smile causing her to blush slightly despite her state of mind. They look into each others' eyes, entranced, when…

"ROCKET! RODRIGUEZ! YOU KNOW THE RULES ABOUT PDA IN SCHOOL!"

'Dude… we weren't DOING anything…'

"Seriously Lt. Collins… Otto was just cheering me up…"

"I KNOW WHAT I SAW, RODRIGUEZ… THAT'S ANOTHER DAY'S DETENTION FOR BACKTALK, YOU WANNA KEEP GOING?"

'As a matter of fact…' Otto is about to argue further with his ex Marine vice principal when he's silenced by a pair of lips on his. Cheers break out from around the field when Otto instinctively wraps his arms around the girl in front of him, deepening the kiss.

"THAT'S A MONTH'S DETENTION… INCLUDING SATURDAYS!" Lt. Collins is beside himself. 'Oh for the good old days when a teacher COULD grab a high school student by the ear and drag him off…' he sighs.

"WHEN YOU TWO DECIDE TO BREAK FOR AIR… COME TO MY OFFICE… IF I DON'T SEE YOU TWO BY THE END OF THE DAY, YOUR GUARDIANS WILL BE CALLED IN." Lt. Collins gives up on shaming the two teens into separating. It would take a crowbar to pry apart those two. Besides, while he's wasting his time in the courtyard, there could be delinquents starting food fights in the cafeteria… spray painting the gym… stealing computer equipment…. With a last, filthy look at Otto, he turns to leave.

Meanwhile, Reggie and Twister are walking through the hall with Sam and Sherry. Reggie's discussing the news broadcast with Twister, while Sam and Sherry listen in amusement.

"So, when I start my feature on the pep rally I want –

'a wide angle lens. And I'll do a close-up of you before-

"panning out to get some shots of the audience."

They smile at each other as their blonde friends crack up.

'What's so funny, squid?' Twister glowers at his bespectacled friend. He does NOT want any awkwardness around Reggie.

"You're not speaking in complete sentences…"

"So who needs more? Twist did you-

'I understood everything you said… and did you-

"Every word!"

"Like… you're doing it again!" Sherry is becoming frustrated. She's not used to NOT being able to take part in any conversation.

"Hey… don't hate, appreciate… right Twist?" Reggie grins up at Twister, who for some reason starts to blush slightly. Sensing a situation, Sam coughs.

'Er… what's with the crowd?'

Reggie's stomach drops. She can hear cheers, and random people shouting 'GO OTTO' from a cluster of students gathered just outside the front door by the field. Meeting her eyes, Twister nods and begins to push his way through the crowd, followed closely by Reggie, Sam and Sherry. He suddenly stops short, causing Reggie to walk right into him.

'Reg… you know what… there's nothing to see here… let's go back to the gym and do a dry run for our pep rally feature….'

"Outta my way. Twist…" Reggie narrows her eyes at her friend, who reluctantly steps aside, to reveal her brother locking lips with his cousin.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Hey, I'm not sure if anyone's still reading this, but I thought I'd carry on anyway. I'll be wrapping this up in a couple of chapters… I hope!

As Otto's brain begins to regain function, he becomes dimly aware of the cheers ringing around him. Moving back slightly, he looks at Cleo, dazed, with a wide, uncharacteristic grin on his face.

"Wow… I mean… babe… that was…"

'Y-yeah… that was…' Cleo's breath is ragged, and her face is flushed. Her smile is shy, but matches Otto in wattage. They stare at each other for a few minutes, uncomfortable with the raucous cheers from their classmates. Otto leans in, pretending to kiss her again.

"On the count of three, we run for it..."

'One… two… three…'

Hand in hand, they make a mad dash towards the school building, with Otto turning around to flip off the crowd.

"Nosy bastards.. they HAD to interrupt the…"

'The…?'

"The best kiss of my life.." Otto finishes quietly. He doesn't quite know what to do in this situation; much as he loves giving his sister grief; he DOES care for her and doesn't want her to lose another one of her close friends. Plus, Trish had always been a cool girl, and Otto didn't quite like the idea of cheating on her. Looking at Cleo scuff her shoe, he figured she was thinking the same thing.

"Hey… just out of curiosity… why'd you kiss me, anyway…"

'I don't know… I guess I was just on autopilot…' Cleo is red faced. She knows there are going to be serious consequences for her actions.

"You mean OTTO-pilot?" Otto smirks.

Shoving him slightly, she turns and looks at him.

'I guess… Somehow I always thought that would be the only way to shut you up… never thought I'd actually get around to doing it though, much less in front of the vice principal!' She buries her head in her hands. 'Man, I am toast!'

"Babe, if that's how you want to shut me up, I may never speak again…" Otto grins cheekily, earning another whack on the arm.

'Otto…' She looks up at him sadly. The reality of their situation is slowly sinking in… she has just kissed her best friend's brother… who was taken. By a good friend of hers.

"Yeah, I know… I'll go talk to her."

'Talk to who… me?' A long haired brunette speaks up from behind him.

"Trish… I swear I was just going to go look for you…"

'Well… it looks like I've saved you a trip, doesn't it…' Trish turns and gives Cleo a "Get lost" glare. Turning to leave, Cleo is surprised when Otto pulls her back.

"Babe, don't go… Trish… it wasn't her fault, it was mine. I kissed her."

'That's not what I heard, Otto…'

"I'm the one who was actually in a relationship with you… and I'm the one who had a responsibility to you here… be mad at me, not her…"

'Y-y-you… I can't believe you…' Trish turns and dashes off down the hall. Groaning, Otto turns towards Cleo with an apologetic look.

"I gotta go after her, babe… talk to you later…" Leaning forward, he gives her a peck on the cheek and a reassuring smile before sprinting off after his (ex?) girlfriend.

Stunned, Cleo makes her way towards the library, barely able to process the events of the last hour. She does know, however, there's someone she should be talking to, and that the library would probably be the best place to find her.

"I CANNOT believe they did this… again… Twist, how many friends do I have to lose before my brother buys himself a clue?" Reggie Rocket is upset.

'I don't know Reg… but…you gotta admit… it's not like you didn't see this coming…'

"Otto needs to DIE…"

'You know you wouldn't hurt a dreadlocked hair on his head…' Twister coaxes a reluctant smile from the tall, angry girl in front of him.

"You're right…" she grumbles and pouts. Almost automatically, he reaches out and puts an arm around her shoulder, as she leans against his chest.

"Twist…" Reggie mumbles into his shirt.

'Yeah?' Twister is trying to ignore how good she feels in his arms.

"What am I going to do now… I don't want to lose Trish as a friend, and I don't want things to be weird with Cleo…"

Twister's heart begins to constrict as he imagines a lonely Reggie, forced to choose between her close friends… having only Sam to talk to in class… getting closer and closer to Sam… Sam forgetting all about Sherry… Sam and Reggie… 'NO!'

"Twist?" Reggie looks up quizzically.

'Er… I thought I saw a monkey about to attack us…'

"In the library?"

'My bad…' Twister heaves a sigh of relief as he apologizes. He's about to say something to comfort Reggie when they hear the clearing of a throat behind them.

"Am I… not welcome here?" Cleo is uncertain. She knows her actions are going to have consequences; she just hopes she doesn't have to lose her best friend.

'No cuz… I think you have some explaining to do, anyway…' Twister is firm, but strangely bitter. For some reason, the thought of Reggie getting close to the squid upset him quite a bit.

"Reg.. you know how it is with me and Otto… and… he was just cheering me up about my parents, honestly, when Collins came in… and…it was just the adrenaline… I swear, if you're not cool with it, I'll never see him again!"

Raising an eyebrow Reggie looked at Cleo questioningly. "OK then…"

"OK… what?" Cleo is nervous.

"OK… don't see him again and you're forgiven…"

Gulping, Cleo manages a watery smile and nods, as her best friend and cousin suddenly crack up in front of her.

"BUST!!!" They both yell, earning a glare from the librarian.

"Did you think I'd REALLY order you to stay away from him? That's Otto's job, not mine…"

'Otto's job?' Twister is now confused. He knew Reggie had been only kidding; the little gleam in her eye when she spoke to Cleo had made that evident (to him at least). However, he didn't know why Otto was suddenly involved.

"If he caught one of his good friends kissing me, he'd pound his face in. I'm not THAT petty.." Reggie smiles, wondering why Twister's face was suddenly pale.

'Er… hehe… really… interesting…'

"So… I can see him?" Cleo's happiness causes her to ignore Maurice's strange behavior.

"I just have one request…"

"Name it. It's yours. Anything." Cleo is relieved.

"When this thing blows up with you and Trish… don't make me take sides…" Reggie's voice is small, causing the redhead at the table to turn sharply towards her. She looks so sad, he wishes he could hold her hand, and tell her that everything was going to be OK.

"You didn't even have to ask, Reg…" Cleo says softly. She knows her actions have put her best friend in an uncomfortable position, and leans forward to give her a reassuring hug.

Meanwhile, Otto has managed to track Trish down. She'd run to an empty classroom, and was sobbing softly.

"Aw man… Listen, Trish, I'm so sorry about all this…"

'It's Trish now, huh…' She looks up at him with tear filled eyes.

"Er.. that is your name…"

'You called me babe before… and now it's Trish… and Cleo's babe…' Her tone is one of resignation.

"It's… complicated…" He sits down on a table next to her, sighing.

"I guess… I've had… these serious feelings for her since we were kids… and I just never thought I'd get a chance with her… and when I did… I forgot everything else… you know that feeling?"

'It's pretty familiar…' Trish is wry. Otto has just described her feelings towards him.

"Aw, man…" Otto doesn't know what to do. This whole being responsible thing was HARD. He did know that Trish deserved better than the treatment she got from him, though.

"You deserve better than what I gave you… and… I… I'm s-s-s-s-s-soooorry." He chokes out. Despite the situation, Trish can't help but smile. Otto Rocket hates apologizing.

'Yeah, I do…' She looks at him, and softens.

'You know what hurt the most?'

"What?"

'The fact that you care for her more than you ever could for me.'

"W-what makes you think that?" Otto didn't know he was being THAT obvious.

'You pretended you kissed her when it was the other way around…'

"I… What're you talking about…"

'I… was kind of spying on you guys from behind the tree…'

"You didn't trust me??" Otto looks indignant, but shuts up after Trish raises an eyebrow at him.

'You're Otto Rocket… you live for worming your way out of every problem.. yet for her, you pretended something was all your fault when it wasn't…'

"I didn't plan for it to be like this… and honestly… I really do like you…you were the first person I actually saw myself having a future with, after her…"

'Not enough, apparently… but I understand… I guess on some level, I've known this would happen since the day I saw her in class…'

"I am sorry though…"

'You mentioned that…'

"Trish… I know I don't have the right to ask you anything, but could you do something for me?"

'If you ask me for one last makeout session, you're getting a high heel up your -'

"No… although…" Otto grins, and then decides to get to the point. "None of this is Reggie's fault… and she really does value your friendship…"

'Don't worry… you're not worth losing Reg over…and I'm not going to make her take sides over this, either…'

"Man, Trish… you really are the best, you know that?" Otto pulls her into a huge hug, which she reciprocates. After pulling back, she responds with a watery smile,'too little too late, Rocket…'


	8. Chapter 8

_The night of the Halloween Hop, the Rocket gang is fairly split up. Reggie, although she hasn't been asked by Trish or Cleo to take sides, has agreed to go to the dance with Trish and Sherry, who has been giving Otto evil looks all week. Cleo is going with Otto and Twister is… strangely depressed. _

'Man you HAD to ruin the dance for us, didn't you…' Twister rarely has a harsh word for Otto, so his constant grumbling surprises even the Squid, whose been doing his fair share of sulking, himself.

"What's YOUR beef… even Reg is cool…"

'She's ALWAYS cool…'

Otto simply raises an eyebrow at his best friend's remark. At the moment, he's too keyed up to take much notice: He's FINALLY going to an actual school dance with the girl of his dreams! All week, he'd been grinning like an idiot as he walked through the halls, and he'd even fallen off his skateboard (once) on the half pipe in Madtown. The whole town had been talking about that little incident for months, much to Otto's annoyance. Even the Squid wouldn't let him live it down.

'Do you even know what she's going as?'

"Cleo? Yeah we agreed to go as Romeo and Juliet…" Otto looks beatific as he imagines Cleo in a long, Juliet dress.

'Bro… you do realize she's got you wearing tights…'

"These are not tights. They are extremely well fitting pants." Otto responds stiffly.

'Tights…' Sam confirms with a grin. It's pretty rare that HE gets a chance to tease Otto Rocket, and he wants to make the most of it.

"Whatever man… according to Cleo we're as romantic as they are…"

'They died…' Sam is deadpan. Twister doubles over in laughter at the sight of Otto's horrified face, earning himself a pummeling. Sam is about to join in, when the boys on the floor are interrupted by a cough.

"Trish, Sherry and I are getting a ride from Lars, Thomas, Pi and Animal… you guys can see us there… when you're done… Otto, is Cleo aware that you have the hots for her cousin?" Reggie sounds barely able to contain her amusement.

'How'd you get them to give YOU guys a ride? Lars and Thomas never drive ME anywhere…' Twister wriggles out of Otto's grasp, curious and beet red at her innuendo. Only he would have the girl of his dreams walk in on him wrestling… her brother. Wait, Reggie was NOT the girl of his dreams. She was his very beautiful female friend.

"All it takes are a few well placed smiles and compliments…" Reggie's wink causes Twister's stomach to inexplicably drop.

"Reg… you'd better not be flirting with any of those bozos there… you're a Rocket. Rockets have standards." Otto goes into protective brother mode at the thought of Reggie going to a dance with BOYS instead of him.

'Says the one who would date anything in a skirt…' Sam is still sore about losing his opportunity to go to the dance with Sherry.

"Any HOT thing in a skirt…"

"Lars is hot…" Reggie enjoys torturing her brother. The sense of satisfaction she gets at his bug eyed expression is matched only by her curiosity at Twister's sudden queasy look. "Anyway, I'll be getting dressed at your house, Twist. Cleo and I want to at least get ready together, seeing that we've got to split up for this dance…" Otto squirms slightly under her pointed glare.

"Anyway, sis… I'm sure you'll look absolutely lovely… the boys won't be able to keep their eyes off you… so you'd better run along… don't want to keep good old Lars and Thomas waiting…" He quickly ushers his sister out of the room before she can start with her 'Otto ruined one of our last dances' routine. He'd been getting enough grief from Otto and, believe it or not, Twister on THAT front. It was almost as if Twister had WANTED to go to the dance as Reggie's de facto date… Otto pauses and gives his best friend a contemplative glare, before shrugging and heading to the bathroom with his "extremely well fitting pants."

At the dance, Twister and Sam are glum. They've been watching Otto and Cleo giggle and coo for almost an hour, and hadn't seen Trish, Sherry or Reggie yet. Even teasing Otto about Cleo was getting old; he would just turn to her with a dopey grin, she would giggle, and they'd kiss. After an hour of watching them, Twister was about ready to stab his own eye with a fork. When Otto and Cleo started to feed each other hors d'ouvers, Sam and Twister made an executive decision to split, skulk by the punch bowl, and sulk. Sam seemed to understand why Twister was in such a funk; both boys brooded in silence as they watched their various couples on the dance floor. Suddenly, Sam seemed to stand a little straighter as the boys are approached by a blonde dressed as Gabrielle from Xena, warrior princess.

'Can I have this dance, cutie?' Sherry winked at the stupefied Squid, blushing slightly at his blatant ogling.

'S-s-s-sure…b-b-but… Twist?' Sam may have feelings for Sherry, but he wasn't about to leave his friend alone with the nauseating new couple from hell – Otto and Cleo.

'You should go dance with Reg…' Sherry, oblivious to Twister's sudden excitement at the mention of their friend's name, ' You'd like have to get in line, though… she's been mobbed since we got here… and your brother and cousin are like a pair of lovesick puppies… hey wouldn't it be cool if Reg and Thomas ended up together? Then she and Otto would be dating siblings!!!'

Turning slightly green, Twister manages to choke out a response, "R-reg and Thomas? I-i-interesting… Man I've got to go… get some air…'

Outside, Twister is giving himself one of his now regular pep talks.

"You CANNOT date her. Otto will kill you. Besides, why would she want to date YOU, anyway? She's beautiful, smart, talented, cool, sweet… and what are you??"

'You're cute, sweet and smarter than you give yourself credit for…' Maurice Rodriguez jumps at the sight of the girl standing behind him. Reggie Rocket is dressed as Cleopatra, with heavily kohl-ed eyes, straight-ironed hair and a form fitting costume that hugged every curve and complemented her olive skin perfectly. The teenaged boy gulps, not trusting himself to utter more than a squeak of approval.

'I don't know who this girl is, but she's the luckiest girl in the world to have a guy like you interested in her… and until she realizes her good fortune, I saved you a dance…'

"B-b-but… what about Thomas?"

'Thomas?? Twist… he's a friend… the last I checked I came to this dance dateless…'

"W-well… since Otto and Cleo and Sam and Sherry have coupled up… will you be my pretend date?"

'I'd like nothing more..' with a sweet smile, she takes his arm and they walk back into the dance, inexplicably giddy with excitement and twin grins.


End file.
